Donald Sterling agrees to sell the Los Angeles Clippers

Lawyers for the disgraced real estate developer, who was banned for life by the NBA in April for racist comments, confirmed on Wednesday that Sterling had agreed to sell the Clippers to Ballmer for $2billion.

Sterling’s wife, Shelly, reportedly made the initial deal with Ballmer.

But the sale reportedly hit a snag when Sterling decided to challenge his ban from the NBA and sue the association, only for the 80-year-old to back flip again on Tuesday.

“Donald Sterling officially announces today, the NBA and Donald Sterling and Shelly Sterling have agreed to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer for $2billion and various additional benefits,” Bobby Samini, one of Sterling’s lawyers, said in a statement published by USA TODAY .

“All disputes and outstanding issues have been resolved.”

Ballmer has long been linked with NBA ownership, having attempted to stop the Seattle Supersonics from being relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 and reportedly tried to purchase the Sacramento Kings last year.

Sterling had launched a civil action against the NBA on Friday for $1billion in damages but will now withdraw that lawsuit.

The former Clippers owner claimed on Tuesday that he was ready to move on.

“I feel fabulous, I feel very good,” Sterling told NBC4.

“Everything is just the way it should be, really. “It may have worked out differently but it’s good. It’s all good.”

Sterling was banned from the NBA after racist comments recorded by his girlfriend V. Stiviano in September 2013 were made public in April.

In the recording, Sterling told Stiviano he did not mind her socialising or having sexual relationships with ‘black people’ but told her ‘not to bring them to my (Clippers’) games’.

After a serious backlash from the NBA community in general, and Clippers players in particular, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that Sterling had been given a life ban and a $2.5million fine, and that he would be forced to sell the LA franchise.